Windshield cleaner



April 6 1926.

F. w. STEWART WINDSHIELD CLEANER Filed April 15, 1922 s Shets-Sheet 1 jfwenz orx Zia/b11670 Wfis'watZ/f April 6 1926.

I F. W. STEWART WINDSHIELD CLEANER Filed April 15, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 6, 1926.

F. W. STEWART I WINDSHIELD CLEANER Filed April 15, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 F 9m mm J HHMH J Patented Apr. 6, 1926.

FRANKLIN STEWART, OI CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

' .wmsmw enemas.

s plmationa ea aerii 15, 1922. Serial No. 558,048.

To allwhom it may concern: i Be it known that I, FRANKLIN W. S'rnw- RT, a citizen of the United States,"-resid1ng at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State 6 of Illinois, have invented certain. new and useful Improvements in Windshield Cleaners, of which the following is a specificatlon, ij'My invention relates to improvements in wind-shield cleaners.

The object of the invention is to provide apparatus of this character as an attachment to the windshield, by the use of which a much greater area of the wind-shield glass may be kept free of rain or snow than has been possible heretofore.

The automatically operated squeegees now on the market clean a sector shaped area of limited width, which permits only a limited angle of vision to the driver, the remaining uncleaned area prevent-mg the driver from seeing people or vehicles approaching from the side until it is too late, in many cases, to avoid accident.

To overcome this difficulty and reduce the danger, I provide two or more Squeegees mounted on a common support and operating to clean adjacent areas of the windshield simultaneously, said support also carrying the motor which actuates said squeegees and housing the actuating mechanism,

thereby providing a unitary structure which may be readily applied to any type of windshield.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, in conjunction with the drawings, in which several embodiments of the invention are shown.

Figure 1 is a top plan view, partly in section, of one form of duplex squeegee apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation through the supporting channel member;

Flg. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of certain details;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 2;

Fi 6 is a similar sectional elevation of the evice applied to a different style of windshield frame;

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the duplex squeegee with a modified form of air motor for operating the same;

Fi 8 'is a section on the line 8-8 of Fig. I

Fig. tion, of a further form of air motor with the duplex squeegee combined therewith;

Fig. 10 is a top plan view of-a further modification Fig. 11 is a front view thereof partly in section; and

Fig. 12 is a sectional elevation of an additional modification.

The apparatus comprises a sup orting member which has, preferably, the firm of 9 is a top plan view, partly in secp a channel to make it rigid and to enable it to resist twisting. The flanges 2-3, of the channel 1, are bent toward each other to form practically an enclosure with a slot on one side. This structure enables the support to be conveniently applied to any of the various types of wind-shield frames now in use.

In Fig. 4 I have illustrated a windshield, the frame of which is a tubular member 4, with an opening in it receiving a pane of glass 5. In this figure the curved frame 4 extends into the slot in the channel member,

illustrating how the latter may be made to fit curved surfaces as well as fiat surfaces. Figure 6 shows the channel member applied to a flat wind-shield frame.

The supporting member is fastened to the wind-shield frame, preferably by small bolts 6 passing through holes in said frame. The lower part of the hollow enclosure formed by the channel member, receives a bar 7 which is adapted to reciprocate, and is preferably in the form of a strip of fiat metal guided by retaining members 8 secured to the channel member 1 by rivets 9 or other suitable fastening devices.

This reciprocating member may be actuated by any suitable motor. For purposes of illustration I have shown several airoperated motors actuated by a connection to the intake of the engine of the automobile on which the wind-shield cleaner is located,

The motor shown in Fig. 1 is, preferably, enclosed in a removable housing 10 and comprises a pair of cup shaped members 11 mounted on the base and havin their other ends closed by a flexible diap ragm, such as a cup shaped piece of rubber 12, for example. These flexible walls are connected by a member 13 secured thereto at its opposite ends, and having an extension 14,

which is secured to the reciprocatin member 77, passing through a slot 15 in thee annel. When suction is applied alternately to the cup members 11, the flexible diaphragms are drawn in and out, thereby reciprocating the rack member. Suction is applied through tubes 16, connecting with a suitable valve structure 17 connected by a tube or hose 18 to the inlet of the engine. The rack may also be reciprocated by hand by means of a small knurled handle 19, shown in Figs. 1 and 2, which is also used to lock the rack with the squeegees out of the line of vision.

The reciprocating member 7 has each of its ends formed as a short rack 20, which mesh with the pinions 21, the latter being fixed in each case to a sleeve 22, each sleeve passing loosely through an opening in the wind-shield frame 4.

Each sleeve has a squared portion therein through which passes a rod, 23, square in cross-section, having a reduced screw threaded extension 24 on which is a knurled nut 25. When the nut is tightened, it draws the square shaft 23 fartherinto the sleeve 22 against the action of the spring 26. The shaft 26 has an op'ening 27 near its outer end through which the squeegee rod 28 passes, thesqueegee 29 being at the lower end of said rod and swinging back and forth in the arc of a circle when the air motor is in operation. The adjusting nut 25 has radial ribs 30 thereon, which are normally received within the recess in the washer 31 on the sleeve 22, thereby permitting said nut to be drawn inwardly by the operator, rotated to draw the squeegee against the glass 5 of the windshield and then released to permit the ribs 30 to enter the corresponding grooves to lock said nut with the squeegees properly held against the glass. With this arrangement the operator is enabled to draw the squeegee against the glass without getting out of the car. This is an important feature as the squeegee rod may be bent outwardly, due to careless handling by garage men when cleaning the automobile, in which case the squeegee does not touch the glass and to overcome this difliculty, it has been necessary heretofore either to reach around the windshield and straighten the rod or wire, or else get out of the car to make this adjustment.

In Figs. 7 and 8, I have shown the same duplex squeegee arrangement operated by a modified form of air motor. The supporting member or channel 35 may be of the same cross-section as that previously described and supports the opposed cylinders 36 having pistons 37 therein, connected by a member 38, causing them to reciprocate in unison. The valve mechanism 39 is between the cylinders. A bar 40 connects the member 38 with the reciprocating rack 41.

In Fig. 9, I have shown the manner of mounting a further modification of air motor on the channel member. Said air motor is in the form of a cylinder 42, having pistons 43 therein connected by a common piston rod 44, with an adjustable block 45 thereon having an extension 46 passing through an opening in the cylinder wall and connected to the reciprocating rack 47. The valve mechanism is located in a housing 48 in one end of said cylinder.

In Figs. 10 and 11 I have illustrated the manner of mounting a further modification of the air motor, the latter comprising a semi-circular housing 50, -mounted on the supporting channel 51 and having a radially arranged piston 52 which oscillates back and forth, rocking a shaft 53, on which a pinion 54 is carried, which meshes with the reciprocating rack 55, the latter operating the squeegees as in the prior constructions.

In Fig. 12, the air motor comprises a cylinder housing 56 having pistons 57 therein connected by piston rod 58, the latter carrying a pin 59, which rocks an arm 60 having bifurcated extensions in engagement with said pin. The arm 60 rocks a pinion 61, which meshes with the rack bar 62 in the channel support 63.

I claim as my invention 1. A wind-shield cleaner comprising an elongated channel member, means for securing said channel-member to a wind-shield frame with the edges of the open side of said channel member bearing against said frame to help position the devlce, a plurality of squeegee supports carried by said channel member and passing through openings provided in said frame, squeegees carried by said supports, and means for simultaneously oscillating said supports.

2. A device of the class described comprising an elongated hollow metal structure having a slot in one side to receive part of a wind-shield frame, spaced squeegee supporting members pivotally carried by said structure and passing through openings in said windshield frame, and actuating means for said squeegee supports enclosed within said structure.

3. A squeegee supporting member comprising a channel member, the side walls of which have inwardly turned flanges, a rack located in said channel behind one of said flanges and arranged to reciprocate, a plurality of pinions mounted within said channel member and in engagement with said rack, a motor mounted on the outside of said channel member having a connection passing through an opening therein to operatively enga e said rack, and a squeegee support arranged to turn with each of said pinions.

4. A device of the class described comprising a motor, a supporting member upon which-said motor is mounted, said member having an extension on each side of said motor, a squeegee mounted in each of said extensions, and means operable b said motor and housed within said extenslon for actuating said Squeegees.

5. A device of the class described coinprising a support adapted to be applied to one side only of a windshield frame leaving the upper edge thereof free from obstructions, :1 motor mounted on said support intermediate its ends, a squeegee carried by said support on either side of said motor,

' ing mechanism mounted thereon, a rack and pinion actuated thereby, and a hollow driving member on which said p1n1on 1s mountdriving member.

In testimony whereof, I have subscribed my name.

FRANKLIN W. STEWART.

,ed, said pinion serving to oscillate said 20 

